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European Convention on Human Rights

Origins

On 4 November 1950 the "Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms", better known as the "European Convention on Human Rights" was signed at the Barberini Palate in Rome by member States of the Council of Europe. The picture shows Robert Schuman, Minister of Foreign Affairs for France, signing the Convention.

After 10 countries had ratified it, the Convention entered into force on 3 September 1953..

The Council of Europe has published the text as Convention no. 5 in the "Council of Europe Treaty Series" (CETS) and is searchable at the Treaty database.

Travaux préparatoires to the Convention

The "Travaux préparatoires" contain the various documents that were produced during the drafting of the Convention and its first Protocol. They contain reports of discussions in the Consultative Assembly and its Committee on Legal and Administrative Questions, as well as the Committee of Ministers and certain of its committees of experts.

The official version of the “Travaux préparatoires” are published in 8 volumes from 1975-1985 by Martinus Nijhoff in the Hague. The Registry’s internal working documents provide a full text access.

Official version

Original texts

The official original textdates from 1950. Since 1950 the Convention has been amended by further Protocols (P). Today, the text of the Convention contains the basic version as amended by Protocols 11 and 14, and 6 other protocols : the Additional Protocol (also called "Protocol No. 1") and Protocols Nos. 4, 6, 7, 12, and 13.

For the text of the latest edition in the 2 official languages, English and French, together with the non-official translations click here.

European Court of Human Rights

Courtroom

History

Until 1998 the two Convention bodies were : • the European Commission of Human Rights, created on 18 May 1954, and empowered to decide on the admissibility of applications ("decisions") and to deliver "reports" (to encourage friendly settlements) in respect of applications found admissible; and • the European Court of Human Rights, established on 21 January 1959, which, under certain conditions, could re-examine cases brought before the Commission and deliver "judgments".

On 1 November 1998, with the coming into force of Protocol No. 11 the system of the Court/Commission was abolished and replaced by a single Court to examine applications presented under the Convention and its Protocols.

Rules of Court

The Rules are in a permanent state of evolution, and since 1959 to present there have been many amendments.

Strasbourg's case-law can be found:

Case law - HUDOC (online)

HUDOC

HUDOC – is the official case law database of the Court. It contains nearly all decisions and judgments of the Court, and the decisions and reports of the Commission.

The “User Manual” explains how to carry out an effective search, and details the contents of the database. The video version is also available.

HUDOC is a full-text database which can be used free of charge.

Advanced search

Entrance hall ceiling

Case law - Court (paper)

From 1996 to date

The official reference source is “Reports of Judgments and Decisions = Recueil des arrêts et decisions”, published until 2012 by Carl Heymanns Verlag to vol. 2007-V. From 2013 produced by Wolf Legal Publishers (WLP) starting with vol. 2008.

From 1960 to 1996

The judgments were published in "Série A : Arrêts et décisions = Series A : Judgments and Decisions", volume 1 (1960) to 338 (1996). This series was superseded by " Reports of Judgments and Decisions = Recueil des arrêts et décisions".

Case law - Commission (paper)

From 1960 to 1974

The Commission published its decisions in 46 brochures making up the "Collection of Decisions of the European Commission on Human Rights = Recueil des décisions de la Commission européenne des Droits de l'Homme".

From 1975 to 1998

The decisions and reports of the Commission were published in "Decisions and Reports = Décisions et rapports", (94 instalments). Five indexes provide various possibilities of access, including by the number of the application.